Visual Impact Produces Kids Self Portraits - To Appear On Light Poles In the Streets of Lake Placid, NY
By KIM SMITH DEDAM Staff Writer – Press Republican
LAKE PLACID — Imagine you’re 12 or 13 years old. It’s 7:30 a.m. on a Monday, and you yawn and shuffle down the stairs at school.
And there on the floor is a self-portrait you painted a few months ago, now a giant three-by-five-foot banner, alongside some four dozen other faces.
Lake Placid Middle School kids stopped on the stairs in a recoiling swell and stared, smiles slowly rounding into “ohhhs.”
The giant paintings made by 48 kids will soon flap along Main Street, bearing an important message: “Make Time for Kids.”
‘IT’S COOL’ The Banner Project, brainchild of Essex County Connecting Youth and Communities volunteer Naj Wikoff, will put the face of Lake Placid Middle School youths above the busy bustle of village traffic.
Wikoff helped students with some of the portraits at Shipman Youth Center, and others were made in school art classes.
Casey Porter, an eighth-grader, lifted the heavy banner bearing his own picture off the marble floor. His portrait marks a long, serious stare, eyebrows close-knit under a cap of bright-orange hair.
Casey wasn’t sure why he painted a blue face. “I don’t know,” he said with a mischievous look. Maggie Rose-McCandlish, another eighth-grader, painted a grid of colors around her head.
The kids loved their portraits. “It’s cool,” Maggie said. “I like it a lot,” said Gilliam McLean, a sixth-grader who is jazzed about having her face plastered on a banner over Main Street.
“Being a kid, I guess I liked this project because I like being the center of attention,” said Elizabeth Leff, an eighth-grade artist. “I like that the banners are really bright and will stick out.”
TIME COUNTS Lake Placid Middle/High School art teachers Sandy Payne and Anne Rickard helped Wikoff put the project into motion.
Opening the box of banners this week for the first time, the teachers were agog. Self-portraits are hard at 12 and 13. “To start them this year with a difficult project was asking a lot,” Payne said. “Middle schoolers are self-conscious to begin with.”
But the banner idea emerged from Connecting Youth leaders’ discussions with the kids last year. Wikoff said that under the colorful face of each child is really a larger message for community.
“Our concern was, in Lake Placid we have a below-average drug and alcohol use in elementary school and an above-average drug and alcohol use in high school. We’re trying to stop alcohol and drug use by youth.”
Studies show the single most important difference in a young person’s life is made in time spent with a parent or family members, especially in the tough ‘tween years. ‘I’M AMAZED’ Tina Clark, Lake Placid’s student support counselor and Connecting Youth board member, was awestruck by the posters.
“I’m amazed at the tremendous variety in everything about these. I can’t wait to see them on Main Street in March.” In all, the project had 24 banners made, one student on each side.
The Lake Placid Village Board has granted Connecting Youth permission to mount the banners three times in a year, without charge. After unveiling them, Wikoff brought the banners to the Public Works Department. The bright collection of self-portraits will go up on the light poles in a few weeks. http://www.pressrepublican.com/0100_news/local_story_043224612.html
Visual Impact is There when Shani Davis sets Speed Skating World Record
See Visual Impact’s graphics in action as Shani Davis sets a world record in the 1000M. The skate took place March 7, 2009 at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City.
Winona State University Wall Mural
Winona State University recently won two 2008 CASE V awards for excellence in publications for a wall mural that was printed by Visual Impact. Universities of all sizes compete against each other for the awards and are evaluated on the publication quality and an abstract detailing the goals, audiences, messages, and budget for the entry.
Project coordinator Beth Halledck had this to say about Visual Impact “I really appreciate your patience in working with us on our first project of this magnitude. To us it felt huge but compared to many of your other projects I’m sure this was peanuts. I know that part of why this mural makes such a big impression on people is the quality of the finished product. Not only do you print “bigger, better” but you make “bigger, better” affordable for the little guy too. Thanks!”
A GOLD award in the “Excellence in Print Advertising” category for the sesquicentennial timeline. Beth Halleck, Angie Kronebusch, and Brett Ayers coordinated the project along with the input of the publications and advancement staff. This is the top award in the category as we competed against universities of all sizes, including the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (silver) and the University of Toledo (bronze). Make sure you see the award winning time line on the first floor of Phelps Hall (it’s hard to miss).
A BRONZE award in the “Best Commercial Spot” category for our series of television ads “Find What You Can Do.” This is the second year in a row we have won an award for our television ads (last year we won silver). The University of Toledo got its revenge in this category as they nipped us for the win. You can see the first spot of our 2008-09 series on televisions everywhere.
In addition to receiving a trophy for gold and plaque for bronze, a representative from WSU will be recognized onstage at the CASE V conference in December. We’re proud of the awards and thank everyone in advancement for their contributions, advice, input, and support for these and our other publications.
Getting Green In New Olreans
Visual Impact along with Ultra-Flex successfully completed a bold initiative with the SGIA to provide large-format graphic panels to temporary construction areas along Canal Street, a central thoroughfare in downtown New Orleans.
“We are proud to participate in this effort to help dress-up some pretty beat-up spaces in the center of New Orleans” said Terry Verdick, president of Visual Impact. “This is the perfect project as we launch our GreenerGraphics.com initiative. We partnered with Ultra-Flex on the project by using their Bioflex, biodegradable vinyl.”
“Canal Street is showing great improvements as a major connector between the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the French Quarter,” said SGIA President/CEO Michael Robertson (Read Robertson’s full message). “SGIA and our volunteer members were excited to show during the installation phases of the initiative how specialty imaging can enhance any urban landscape in the midst of renovations.”
“We are so grateful to SGIA for this extremely generous donation, and for their support of New Orleans,” said Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. “These beautiful graphic panels are a much-welcome addition to the urban landscape.”
Visual Impact Named Official Provider of Street Graphics for Minnesota's Sesquicentennial
Visual Impact has been named the Official Provider of Street Graphics for Minnesota’s Sesquicentennial … the state’s 150 year celebration . “We couldn’t be more thrilled to help the Sesquicentennial Commission as we aim to decorate Minnesota’s cities and streets with graphics for the Sesquicentennial.” said Terry Verdick, President of Visual Impact.
Street graphics include items like flags, pole banners, over the street banners, big sidewalk stickers, window graphics, vehicle wraps and billboards. We can even wrap buildings with Sesquicentennial spirit.
- To discuss an order for flags and banners for the celebration describe your project at www.printingbiggerbetter.com/quote_request.
- To learn more about the Sesquicentennial go to www.mn150years.org.
Visual Impact's graphics at the ISU World Cup for Speedskating
See Visual Impact’s graphics in action at the ISU World Cup for Speedskating as Jeremy Wotherspoon sets the World Record in the 500.
Visual Impact Creates 120-foot Banner
Watch WCCO TV to see how Visual Impact produced the graphics for the NHL Allstar Game in Dallas Texas.
Wrap Magzine: Visual Impact Leads the Field
Visual Impact leads the field with 3M’s new “Rough Wall” film for murals, etc.
View Article » (pdf)
